The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-31
THE BULGARIAN EXECUTIONS.
Horrible Butchery of the Leaders of the
Recent Patriotic Revolt.

Horrible Butchery of the Leaders of the
Recent Patriotic Revolt.
Odessa Letter in london News
have had, during the last few days, several
conversations with M. Gueroff n Bulgarian Dep
uty, and his daughter. Nine. Zelenogoroff. the
widow of Captain Zelenogoroff. who, with eight
others, was shot at Rustchuk on Feb. %. by
order of the Regents. Nine Zelenogoroff is a
young lady of some twenty years, and of very
considerable personal attractions. She assured
me that there was reason why the Regents
should have sequestrated her property, and
issued warrant of arrest against herself, but
from what gather Nine. Zeenogoroffs salon
was the chief rendezvous of the ccnspirators
All the leaders shot the 22d of February. she
admitted. were assembled in her house ten days
previously, but she asserted that she knew moth
ing of the meditated revolt Nine. Zelenogoroff
stated that she was not permitted, by the
Regents order, to visit her husband during the
three days imprisonment before the execution.
She gained access, however, to his prison in
disguise. She complains bitterly of the manner
of the executions, and If her statement be cor
rect they were certainly carried ont In a very
shocking manner. She said: My husband and
the rest were sentenced to death late the
evening Of the 2lst and shot at o'clock next
morning. On that morning was FRUSTRATED by
ilr ess and my husband had only time to write
a f. w rapidly penciled words before he led
out his grave L will show you the note.
which. with this ring on my finger are the only
mementoes l now possess This is what hap
pened The nine victims were placed before their
shallow, short graves, which were not more than
four feet in length and a foot and half deep.
My husband refused to have his eyes bandaged.
and tore open the tunic of his uniform that it
might not be riddled, saying that HE coat was
guilty of 10 treason The firing party numbered
ninety and yet my husband was left unscathed
after the first volley. At the second ami third
discharge he was wounded and fell Then the
officer in charge advanced to give him the coup de
grace, and emptied five chambers of his revolver
before the murder of my husband MSS COM
pleted. Then the crowd rushed in and tore the
boots and clothes from the still warm bodies,
which were pitched into too small graves and
trodden down. My husbands feet were hacked
off that his poor n1utilated corpse might
be made TO fit the grave. 1t was all very horri
BILE. The dogs came in the night and We had to
set guardians over the graves. subsequently
we erected crosses and headstones but they
agents of the Regents. Now things quieter
we have replaced the headstonesn Nine. Zeie-
nogorof had much to say about Prince Aiexan-
der. He was honorable, good-natured and amia
BILE. but his amiability, if it may be so termed,
said Nine Zelenoeoroff, was carried to an ex-
treme, which affected and injured his position.
In the latter days of his reign not only many
ladies, but officers, did not thinko of rising when
the Prince entered or left room. He was some
what boyish in his amusements, and would d.
vert himself with number of officers in all man
ner of scboolboy frolics. He lost caste by being
intimate with those around MIN. Nine. Zele-
nogoroff observed. with much sadness, that only
a month before the execution the Judge who sent
her husband and friends their fate had dined
at her table on the occasion of her birth day.
The young widows and families of five of the of
fcers executed at Rutschuk are now here. They
are. of course. for the present pensionnaires of
the Russian government Nine. Zelenogoroff
speaks very little Russian. but is fairly fluent in
French and German.